Pierre-Henri Philibert

Pierre-Henri Philibert

Pierre-Henri Philibert
Born (1774-01-26)26 January 1774
Saint-Denis, La Réunion
Died 1824
Allegiance  France
Service/branch French Navy
Rank Captain

Pierre-Henri Philibert (Saint-Denis,[1] Île Bourbon, 26 January 1774[2] — 1824) was a French Navy officer.

Career

Philibert was born the family of a Navy civil servant. He joined the Navy in 1786.[2]

During the French Revolution, on 16 November 1793, Philibert was promoted to Ensign.[2] He rose to Lieutenant in 1803,[2] and served as aid to Rear-Admiral Magon on the 74-gun Algésiras.[3] He took part in the Battle of Trafalgar, distinguishing himself by recapturing Algésiras after the battle and sailing her back to Cádiz.[2]

By June 1809, Philibert was in command of Sapho,[4] on which he voyaged to India.[5][Note 1] Sapho sailed from Bordeaux to Port-des-Barques between around 1 July. Philibert was promoted to Commander in 1811, after 26 April.[2][6]

From 7 October 1813, Philibert led a frigate division, comprising Étoile and Sultane, under Dupetit Thouars,[7] to engage in commerce raiding.[8] Philibert commanded the French forces at the Battle of Jobourg, where both frigates of his squadron were captured.[8]

Philibert was promoted to Captain (second class) in 1814.[2] By 1815, Philibert was a Knight in the Legion of Honour and the Order of Saint-Louis.[2]

At the end of the Hundred Days, Philibert was in command of the frigate Saale and led a squadron comprising her and Méduse, under Captain Ponée. A historic rumour has it that with Napoléon's armies in disarray, Ponée proposed to have ferry Napoléon to America on Saale, while Méduse would have engaged HMS Bellerophon in a hopeless battle to prevent her from giving chase.[9] Whether the plan was indeed ever fomulated or not, it was never implemented, and Napoléon instead abdicated for the second time.[2] From 14 April 1815 to 15 December, he conducted a mission to India on his frigate, by then renamed to Amphitrite.[10] In 1816, he was in command of a full division, comprising the fluyts Licorne, under Lieutenant and later Commander Rouvroy de Saint-Simon, and Éléphant, under Commander de Cheffontaines, in addition to Amphitrite.[11] By 1817, the Division further comprised the frigate Cybèle, under Captain Achille de Kergariou; the storeships Alouette, under Lieutenant Rigodit, and Girouette, under Ensign Lemaarant de Kerdaniel; and the merchantman Célestine and Louise.[12] In 1818, the Division comprised Cybèle, the fluyts Normande and Rhône and the storeship Durance.

In 1820, Philibert commander the Expédition d'Asie, with his flag on Rhône and later on Durance.[13] His voyages are credited for bringing vanilla to La Réunion, creating the Bourbon vanilla cultivar.[1]

He was promoted to Officer on the Legion of Honour in 1821, and Captain (1st class) in 1822.[2]

Notes and References

Notes

  1. ↑ Roche (p.405) lists Philibert as a Commander (capitaine de frégate); both Bonnefoux and the Fonds Marine of the Ministry of Defence list him as a Lieutenant at this time.

References

  1. 1 2 NAISSANCE DE LA VANILLE BOURBON, Histoire de la vanille
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Note 246 of the MÉMOIRES DU Bon de BONNEFOUX, CAPITAINE DE VAISSEAU, 1782-1855
  3. ↑ Fonds Marine, p. 338
  4. ↑ Fonds Marine, p. 387
  5. ↑ Roche, p. 405
  6. ↑ Fonds Marine, p. 444
  7. ↑ The Royal Navy: A History from the Earliest Times to the Present, vol.5
  8. 1 2 Fonds Marine, Vol. 2, p.494.
  9. ↑ Guérin, p.482
  10. ↑ Fonds Marine, Vol. 2, p.502.
  11. ↑ Fonds Marine, Vol. 2, p.507.
  12. ↑ Fonds Marine, Vol. 2, p.514-515.
  13. ↑ Fonds Marine, Vol. 2, p.539.

Bibliography

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